Victoria



An I. HILL.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CLOSING DEVICE APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. I917.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919 /v v [/I 7 0 f? ARTHUR JOSEPH HILIQOF CASTLEMAINE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

ELECTRIC-CIRGUIT-OLOSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Application filed September 19, 1917. Serial No. 192,090.

To all whom'z't may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR JOSEPH HILL, a British subject, residing at Barker street, Castlemaine, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented a new the quantity other engines a float'to show the height or quantity and useful Improved Electric-Circuit-Closing Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention of improved indicator, electric alarm and ignition cut-off apparatus for the lubrication systems of engines has been designed mainly for attachment to the motors or engines of motor cars to prevent their being damaged by the engine bearings and cylinder surfaces becoming hot and firing by reason of the lubricating oil supply giving out, while .also it may be attached to for a similar purpose, as in many engines there is no means provided by which the of lubricating oil which remains in the sump or chamber for such purpose.

My invention is applicable to those-motors or engines which have electric ignition and it provides a visible indicator operated by of oil available for lubrication, an electric alarm to direct the drivers attention thereto, and in the event of the quantity of oil being reduced so considerably that it would be inadvisable to continue running the engine without replenishing the oil in supply chamber, my apparatus Wlll automatically cut out the electric lgnltion appliance of the enginc with the result that the motor or engine and so the car will be stopped until the oil supply is replenished and thus damage from the cause mentioned will be avoided.

In order that my invention may be well understood it will now be fully described aided by a reference to the attached sheet of 'drawings in which Figure 1 shows the apparatus by longitudinal sectional view an Fig. 2 a half sectional view taken at rightangles to Fig. 1 of the upper part of the apparatus and with the lower part 1n elevatlon while Fig. 3 is a sectional plan looking down from line 3 3 Fig. 1.

In constructing the apparatus I provide a casing A having a fiber block bottom or base A and a glass or transparent front B, the casing beingconnected by a tube C with an oil reservoir D beneath it, while working attendant may readily perceive a front freely within the said tube and projecting up into the said casing and down into the said oil reservoir is a rod C connected at its bottom end to a float C also said rod near its top end carries a threaded adjustable pointer or lndicator C which points to divided readings on the glass front or obviously on a card or plate arranged within it and which readings consist of suitable height markings such as the words Full, Half full, Too low, Replenish, Danger or the like as may be desired. The bottom part of oil reservoir D has a socket or coupling D on it for connection by a pipe or conduit with the crank casing or lubricating oil supply chamber of the motor or engine.

The aforesaid pointer C is formed on a threaded boss, which fits upon the upper threaded end of the said rod C ,,and said threaded rod has also upon it a conical contact piece E which being threaded similar to the pointer both are thus capable of being adjusted as to their position on the rod or tube C and upon said flange the casing A v is seated and secured by the small metal posts or bolts 6 and c which are in metallic contact with the spring contact fingers G and G respectively arranged at the requisite distance apart to make contact with the .said conical contact piece E at the desired period to sound the horn or alarm on the ear, while two other posts or terminals 6 and e which also secure the casing and are inmetallic contact with finger pieces H and H respectively, and which latter when in contact with the lower part of the conical contact piece E effect the cutting off of the en ine ignition appliance.

y virtue of the conical shape of the contact member and the particular arrangement of the spring contact fingers and the rigid contact fingers, both sets of fingers are bridged when the contact member is in its lowermost position, whereby the alarm is first sounded by reason of the bridging of the contact fingers and the circuit is maintained closed even when the ignition circuit has been disrupted by the bridging of the rigid contact fingers. By reason of this construction, the operator of the vehicle is iorced to put in the necessary amount of oil efore the alarm is discontinued.

In connecting the wires of such as a Ford motor car to my apparatus the main ourwill descend with it until the conical piece rent wire is disconnected from coil and connected with post 6 by. wire f and returned to coils by wire f another Wire f connects post a with the horn, the current being returned from horn through wire i to post 6 Further posts 6 and 6 both conduct the current through metallic flange F and tube C to earth. a

This apparatus when employed in a motor car is preferably mounted at a convenient position in front of the dash board with the oil float chamber. so positioned that the lubricating oil in the crank casin or supply chamber when full, will flow tfirough the connecting pipe to the oil reservoir D and carry the fioat C to such a height that its top will be just below the upper end of said oil reservoir.- As the lubricating oil in the motor is used up, the oil in reservoir will fall to a lower level, the float and pointer E reaches the spring tongues G and G which completes an electric circuit with the horn or alarm and cause it to be sounded,

then as the oil level further recedes, the conical piece E will contact with the fingers H and H then an earth circuit is made and the ignition appliance attached to motor will be short circuited thus stopping the motors or engines. 'Meanwhile the pointer C is directing the attention of the driver or attendant to the various markings on the glass face or card, and warning him of'the height of the lubricating oil in the motor casin or supply chamber.

Alt ough I have described and shown the preferred construction of my invention, I wish it to be understood that the form of casing, indicator and reservoir together with th float control and electric contacts may be modified to suit the class of motor car or engine being equipped without departing from the scope of my claims and object of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.. In combination, a casing, a float-operated rod movable vertically-within the casing and having a portion thereof threaded, a conical-shaped contact member within the casing and having a threaded engagement with the threaded portion of said rod, spring contact fingers on the bottom wall of said casing, and rigid contact fingers below the-spring contact fingers, both the spring and rigid fingers being disposed in the path of the contact member and arranged to be bridged when the contact member is in the lowermost position.

2. In combination, a casing, a float-operated rod movable vertically Within the casing, a contact member vertically adjustable on said rod, rigid contact fingers on the bottom wall of said casing, and spring contact fingers arranged and formed to allow the contact member duringits downward movement first to bridge'the spring contact fingers and subsequently to bridge the rigid contact fingers while bridging the spring contact fingers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ARTHUR JOSEPH HILL.

Witnesses BEDLINGTON HonccoMB, LESLIE LAWTON BEAR. 

